The links with universities do seem to be a common theme in schools that have got into strife here. Also means that the smaller schools who don't want to deal with training on that scale can't possibly compete with what students see as "free flying" and the poor old taxpayer has to carry the debt of these students for how long? What percentage of them are in the industry 2 years after graduating?
Perhaps getting rid of the whole idea of government funded flying training to an elite few schools - who don't seem to be benefitting in the long term either - and having a level playing field in the industry might lead to a healthier flying training industry and therefore healthier suppliers as well?
We lost ACFT and The Aeroplane Company here, both great schools, both had been training Edith Cowan Uni students. RACWA struggled for a while. Join the dots.
The trail of destruction these failures leave is bad enough on a personal and professional level for the staff but also means the creditors have to hike the prices to the remaining operators to try and recoup their losses and the cycle goes on and on. It's not healthy. The government should butt out and put that money towards paying for things the country is short of such as doctors.
Best of luck to all who have been affected...hope some lessons will be learned so this sort of thing doesn't keep on happening.